Courtesan of the Saints

  Chapter 10

  For some days there was no further news of Gerard or his fellow plotters. They had not been arrested, and Miles again began to wonder whether Thurloe and his spies really knew as much about the affair as Sir Henry claimed. The members of the Knot were not especially interested now they thought the danger was over, and were planning further talks with Royalists in the western counties.

  Miles spent a couple of evenings at Cherry's house, but discovered nothing from those who were close to the government. All that happened as a result of these evenings was further frustration for himself, since Cherry made little attempt to converse with him. He was almost on the verge of begging her to allow him to stay, and on the Saturday evening stayed late, after most of the other guests had left.

  John Taunton and Faithful Denham were amongst the few that remained. The talk was desultory, though Faithful livened matters up when he began to fulminate against the May day revels at the beginning of the month.

  'We will stop such abandoned mischief,' he declared, and John asked quickly who he meant would stop it.

  'You may be in power for the time, John Taunton, but the ungodly shall be defeated, and the righteous will come to rule.'

  'Do you mean another Parliament of the Saints? No, the Protector had enough of Barebones and the others last time. He will not tolerate such impudence again.'

  'He will have no say in the matter. The elections are to be free, and we will have as much right to stand as you. Methinks you will be surprised when you see how many of the people support us!'

  'I think not,'John murmured quietly.

  Cherry managed to draw Faithful aside, and soon he took his leave. All the other guests apart from Miles and John Taunton also began to say their goodbyes. Cherry was talking with one of these when she happened to catch sight of Miles standing behind him. Finishing her farewells, she turned and smiled, somewhat anxiously, at Miles.

  'Farewell, Mr. Talbot. I hope to see you here next week. '

  Miles had no alternative but to take the dismissal, conscious John Taunton was watching them.

  'I shall be leaving London again soon,' he contrived to say quietly to Cherry.

  'Oh?' He thought she seemed dismayed, but then she recovered her smile.' Then I hope you will find time to visit me before you go.'

  Miles left with the other guests, and escaped from them as soon as possible, but he was unwilling to go home. He walked towards St Paul's, and in the moonlight inspected the fallen masonry at the south end. It had collapsed early in January when the government had removed scaffolding placed there much earlier in preparation for making repairs. Many people had seen it as a portent, but Miles regarded it simply as reflecting his own miserable condition with regard to Cherry.

  He went northwards and walked in the fields beyond the City bounds all night. When the early summer dawn came, he had decided he must forget Cherry. She could no longer be of any use in serving as an introduction to the men around Cromwell, for he already knew many of them, and could without suspicion seek them out himself. He left undecided the question of whether he would visit her again, whether it would be more noticeable if he did, or if he did not. For the time, he must set off to visit the King. There was nothing to keep him in London once the decision was made, and he turned, astonished to see how far he had come, and made his way back towards the City.

  He intended to call on Sir Henry before he went home, and inform him that he was about to go abroad, and so he made his way towards Temple Bar. He turned into Middle Temple Lane, which was the shortest way to Sir Henry's lodgings, and stopped short. There, only a few yards in front of him, was Cherry, dressed as he had once before seen her dressed in this very place. She was hurrying along, her shabby dress helping to disguise her lovely figure, but there could be no mistake.

  Miles watched, remembering the previous time when he had followed her here, and wondering what it was that brought her. He was certain she had spent the night with John Taunton. He had been spending most of his own night trying to dismiss the fact and the jealousy it aroused from his mind. Was she now going to another lover? Somehow he did not believe it. But what was she doing there, dressed so?

  She turned aside into a narrow passageway, and Miles stepped forward. Before he had decided whether to follow her and try and solve the mystery, however, a sharp scream, suddenly stifled, came from the passageway she had entered.

  He broke into a run, and moments later rounded the corner. Cherry was struggling with two men, while another stood watching.

  Miles drew the sword he always carried, and lunged at the onlooker who was in between him and the others, and the man fell to the ground with scarce a cry while Miles leaped over him and, seizing the man who held Cherry round the waist, dragged him away from her. Again his sword was used to grim effect, and Miles turned to deal with the last man. He was armed, and had his sword out immediately, releasing Cherry as he faced this unexpected attack.

  Miles fenced cautiously. The passage was narrow, and the cobbles gave precarious footing. He soon found that his opponent was a skilled swordsman, and not to be vanquished readily. But he was obviously bothered at having his fellows overcome so easily, despite the surprise advantage Miles had had. Also, he was desperately anxious, it seemed, not to lose Cherry, for he kept trying to glance round to see what she was doing.

  Miles, who was facing Cherry, for the man was between them, called to her to run, but she paid no heed, and waited watching the fight.

  At length, Miles saw an opening and lunged. The man parried it, and attempted a riposte, but, using a daring stroke Miles twisted his wrist, and sent his opponent's sword clattering to the ground as he himself struck and pierced the man's shoulder, causing him to drop to the ground clasping it in agony. He was out of the fight, and Miles wasted no time on him, but sprang across his body towards Cherry.

  'My dearest love! What are you doing here? You run the risk of such attacks foolishly.'

  He took her in his arms, and with a sob, she leant against him.

  'Miles! Oh, Miles!'

  For a few moments they were incapable of speech, then Miles recovered his wits.

  'I will escort you home,' he said firmly. 'You shall not be subject to such attacks again. Why in heaven's name did you do not bring a servant?'

  'No!'

  She had recovered, and stepped back. 'I have something I must do! They are going to arrest Harry, I must warn him.'

  'Arrest?'

  'Oh, please, forget what I have said, I am confused!'

  She looked at him wildly, and he took her firmly in his arms again.

  'My beloved, you may warn your friend, but I am not allowing you to go home alone. Where does he live?'

  She indicated the way, and he put his arm comfortingly about her as they walked along. It was with a strange sense of unreality that he realised she was taking him to Sir Henry Villiers' lodgings. As they reached the door, Cherry looked pleadingly at Miles.

  'I promise I will not run away, but I must see Harry alone. Will you wait for me here?'

  'I do not understand, but this Harry is Sir Henry Villiers, I take it?'

  'Aye, do you know him?' she asked in surprise.

  'Yes. I was on my way to visit him myself when I saw you.'

  'But what, how?'

  'That can wait. You have news his arrest is planned? Is that it?'

  'Yes, I must warn him. Those men were waiting to entrap me, they must have been warned. I must try to help Harry escape while there is time.'

  Miles knocked on the door. 'I will wait here if you prefer it, but I also have dealings with Sir Henry. May I come with you?'

  Too confused to resist, Cherry nodded, and Sir Henry's man opened the door to them at that moment.

  'Is Sir Henry up yet?' Cherry asked urgently.

  'No, Mistress, but I will tell him you are here. Good morning, Mr. Talbot.'

  He showed them into a small parlor, and within a few minutes, during which time they had not spoken, S
ir Henry joined them.

  'Miles? Cherry? What is this?'

  'Harry, you must go away immediately. There are plans to arrest Gerard and the others, and your name was mentioned. They have made another plot against Cromwell, and mean to kill him in chapel at Whitehall this morning, but they will be arrested first. I was set upon as I came here, and but for Mr. Talbot's intervention, they would have had me.'

  'Who has betrayed us?'

  'I know not, but they intend coming here. Go into the country for a while. I do not believe they have evidence against you, merely suspicion.'

  Sir Henry nodded. 'I must go, it seems.'

  'Is there aught I can do to help you? Are there papers to be burnt?' Miles asked.

  'No, my friend. I do not keep incriminating papers about me. I am a lawyer, after all. All I need do is pack my bags and leave.'

  'Leave your man to pack, and go at once,' Cherry urged. 'They are already on the move. Miles dealt with those three, but there will soon be others, and if they find you here, they will not let you go. Please, Harry, leave now. Come with us.'

  'No, I would not incriminate you. They may have my name, but there is nought to connect either of you with me, unless these lodgings have been watched, and even then, your visits here are not proof of aught but social intercourse. Unless they know something else, you are both safe. I will leave as soon as I am dressed. You must go now.'

  'He is right, Cherry. Good fortune, Sir Henry, and I will endeavor to contact you in a short while. I planned to go to the King, I will come into Norfolk when I return.'

  'Farewell, my friends, we will soon be meeting again, I am certain.'

  They left, after carefully making sure there was no one watching the house. By now there were several people about the streets, and they were not conspicuous as they walked through the City.

  Neither of them tried to talk. They were both busy working out the implications of what they had discovered about each other. Both were recalling the fears they had had that the other was trying to obtain information, and pondering this discovery that they appeared to be on the same side.

  Cherry led the way through the lesser streets and alleys to the back of her house, where Miles had on the previous occasion watched her let herself unobtrusively into it.

  There was no one about, and Cherry slipped through the gate and across the yard to a small doorway which led into a passage beside the kitchen. Sounds of activity came from it, but no one was visible, and Cherry moved quietly along the passage to a narrow staircase. She ran lightly up this, and Miles followed. At the top she went through a small room that opened into her bedroom.

  Reaching its safety, she turned and faced Miles, to be crushed to him in a breathtaking embrace. As he kissed her, he tasted the salt tears on her cheeks, and drew back in surprise.

  'My sweet one, my love, what is it? There is no need to fear any more. You are safe.'

  'No, that is not why I am being so stupid,' she said, brushing away the tears with her hand.

  'Then what, my dear one?'

  'I have been in such anguish, thinking you did not love me!' she told him.

  'Thinking I did not love you!' Miles stared at her. 'Was it not obvious I could not bear to be apart from you?'

  'I could not tell. Oh, yes, I knew you wanted my body, but that is not love. You said many fine words to me, but when you rescued me just now was the first time you called me your love!'

  'I was afraid,' he said slowly. 'Afraid of coming too much under your spell, and I tried to fight against it.'

  'As with me,' she whispered.

  'There is so much to say, I know not where to begin!'

  She laughed, a little tremulously.

  'I know what I am going to do. I need to discard these wretched clothes, and then we will have breakfast. You will not object it is not supper?' she said, a gleam of mischief in her eyes.

  'Not in the least, my love. Supper comes afterwards, and the longer the wait, the longer the anticipation.'

  'Fie on you. It is Sunday morning, too! What would the Puritans say to hear you?'

  'I care nought for them, for the day, nor for the time,' he declared, attempting to take her into his arms again.

  Laughingly she eluded him, and shook her fist chidingly.

  'Pray await me in my boudoir, sir,' she murmured, and disappeared back into the room they had come through on the way from the back of the house.

  Miles grinned, and resisted the temptation to follow her. Instead, he went through into the boudoir, and settled himself on a low couch to wait for her.

  In a surprisingly short time she joined him, and was her usual neatly dressed and perfectly groomed self. She had put on a demure dove grey gown, trimmed with pink ribbons. The plainness of it merely accentuated her femininity, as it clung to the curves of her body. Miles could not look away as she approached him.

  'Come, let us eat, and leave explanations until afterwards. Breakfast is already laid in the dining parlor, and I know not what you have been doing all night, but I have been working hard, and need it!'

  So saying, she moved towards the door, and he sprang up to open it for her.

  He was hungry and tired after his night of walking, and the exertion of the fight, and despite his anxiety to discover all about Cherry, he acquiesced in her wishes. They ate the meat and cheese provided, and the ale washed it down. They spoke very little, seeming content while they ate to gaze at one another, and commenting only briefly on the most trivial of things. When they had finished, and had recovered from the excitements of the early morning, they both felt readier to make the explanations that were called for.

  'Shall we move to the boudoir, if you have finished?' Cherry suggested at last.

  Miles nodded, and she went before him.

  Cherry seated herself in a chair by the window, and waved Miles to another, but he shook his head, and sat on the floor beside her, taking her hand in his.

  'Shall I begin?' he asked.